Carnival Night
by Eileithyia-ya
Summary: AU where Trafalgar Law reluctantly takes Nami on a date to the fair. Predominately LawNa, but will be full of pairings, especially crack!
1. Bartolomeo's Travelling Carnival

**So, this idea has been eating away at my brain for a couple of months now. I just had to start it and get it out, to make room for other things. It was meant to be a one shot ... but's it's ended up being much bigger than I intended. **

**Anyway, I thought I could have a lot of fun writing this, so I really hope you guys enjoy it!**

**Oda Eiichiro owns One Piece. **

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Bartolomeo's Travelling Carnival

From the very moment they arrived Trafalgar Law instantly regretted bringing Nami to the fairground. At the time he promised to take her it had seemed the lesser of two evils, and definitely the option that'd have less of a strain on his wallet. It was either Bartolomeo's Travelling Carnival, or a day of shopping at the mall. He obviously chose the former.

The late evening air was slightly humid, but thankfully not too uncomfortable. Law wore his favourite jeans, and a sleeveless yellow t-shirt. He figured that since he enjoyed the glimpses of Nami's skin that she always teased him with, then surely she would enjoy seeing his tattooed and muscular arms for a change. Law also decided to leave his hat at home. It had gotten blown off on their previous date, and Nami's reaction to seeing his hair was something he definitely wanted to witness again.

Nami's eyes had lit up when she saw him. A satisfied smile crept onto her lips, and Law noticed a rise in her chest as she inhaled and briefly held her breath at the sight of him. She uncharacteristically latched on to his arm the moment they met up. That proved to Law that he was right in his assumptions.

Though, he was sure Nami would say she had dressed to accommodate the weather, Law was quite sure she'd dressed to drive him crazy. One their first date she'd clothed herself conservatively. It was a casual date to the zoo, so jeans and a round neck t-shirt were conventional for a family oriented location. For their second and third date she was slowly showing him more and more skin. Always watching his expression when they met up as his eyes danced over her naked flesh. Legs on one date, midriff the next.

On this, their forth date, he'd been treated to both her legs and her midriff at once, and then some.

Nami had opted to wear a pair of black low-rise denim shorts, with a green, yellow, and red striped halter neck top. Her long orange hair was tied back high on her on head, exposing her upper back, shoulders and neck. She really didn't leave much to the imagination. It was torturous for Law, especially since she'd made it perfectly clear that she didn't abide to the 'third date rule', so Law hoped that maybe this meant he could have her on their forth, but he wasn't holding his breath.

The large fairground really became alive once the sun had set. People streamed in from off the nearby beach, making the already crowded park a bit claustrophobic. The music volume was turned up too loud, creating a seismic bass line that was almost enough to give any one a headache. Luckily it was only being thumped out around the rides, so it was possible to take some shelter from the noise around the game stalls. A song began playing that caused Law groan in annoyance, he was sure he'd heard five times, already. Some punchy, electro pop song with a mediocre female vocalist.

The lights were as bright as the music was load. The stalls and joints had strips of yellow cabochons adorning every awnings edge. Red for the apex, and orange down the sides, draped in a uniformed red and yellow striped canvas. All the amusement rides and food vendors were decorated in a multitude of colours that flashed intermittently.

The grounds were bustling with people of all ages and class. There were quite a few recognizable local gangs at the fair. Law hoped to avoid most of them, though namely Eustass Kid. The fiery haired brute was always a thorn in his side, constantly provoking him. It seemed inevitable that they would clash at some point this evening. Kid had a nasty grin on his face from the moment he spotted Law, and had continued to stare at him since then. Killer, Heat and Wire were standing behind him. His three mindless thugs were always at his side. The way Kid began eyeing up the woman on Law's arm made his blood boil. He pulled Nami closer and led them in a different direction to avoid trouble.

"Cheer up, Tora-o!" Nami smiled up at him when she saw him glowering at his rival. That name did nothing for his mood, and he let her know by continuing to frown down at her. She playfully bumped her hip against him, which caused a small smile to tug at the corner of his mouth before he returned to scowling.

"You're cute when you sulk." Nami laughed, then stopped to stretch up on her tiptoes and leant in to kiss him. Their lips met briefly before they were interrupted by the sweet smell of donuts that wafted past their noses.

"Can we get some, please?" The red head seductively batted her eyelids at him, knowing full well he wasn't a fan dough products. Her face lit up when he nodded his head, and she quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him to the vendor.

They shared the three hot and sugary donuts as they continued to walk around. Law ate one, which he only consumed because Nami practically fed it to him. For his revenge, Law took Nami's hand and licked the sugar off her fingers before she had the opportunity to. The annoyance was obvious on her face. She flared red out of either anger or embarrassment, he didn't care which, he enjoyed her expression.

"One sec'." Nami said as she went to find a bin to discard the paper bag the donuts came in.

Law nodded, then looked around at some of the rides. He spotted a carousel, the dodgems, a Waltzer, a giant octopus looking thing, and the large Ferris wheel that was hard to miss. His eyes went wide, and he couldn't stop the wicked smile from spreading over his mouth when he saw that there was a combined haunted house and ghost train. He knew Nami hated horror movies, so he was determined to drag her on that ride at some point. The thought of her cowering next to him, clinging to him out of fear, and seeking his protection, it certainly appealed to his sadistic side.

"What?" Nami quizzed when she returned. She had a nervous smile on her face as she sauntered towards him.

"Nothing." Law insisted. He put his arm round her and escorted her towards some of the games. The red head continued to stare up at him, eyeing him suspiciously. She gave up when he refused to acknowledge her staring.

Plenty of young couples walked around together, hand in hand. It did irritate Law somewhat to know he was on such a cliché date. Not that dinner and a movie weren't, but this was somehow different.

The side stalls that formed the north and west perimeter of the fairgrounds were polluted by a testosterone filled atmosphere. The possible prizes that could be won gave rise to every courting male to try and win his partner a cuddly toy.

A gothic looking girl was standing awkwardly as she watched her date trying to win a teddy bear for her. She stood with her toes pointing inward. Her big eyes blinked often from the weight of her false eyelashes, and she wore too much make-up to lighten her complexion. Long, pink, spiralling hair flowed down to the small of her back.

A vaguely familiar man with short black hair was attempting to score three times at basketball. He wore black leather pants, an open white shirt with a ruffled neck, and a large gold crucifix pendent resting on his chest. A moustache, goatee, and sideburns that were shaved to point upwards. His sharp amber eyes were fixed on the basket like a bird focuses on its prey.

His date was frantically pointing at a large brown bear with a blue and white striped hat. "I want that one!" She screamed. The girl jumped up and down in excitement. The ruffles of her long black dress flapped like crow's wings when she moved, and she almost lost her large top hat when he won the prize for her.

"I'll call him Bearsy!" The girl declared as the cuddly toy was handed to her.

"Tora-o?" Nami purred.

"No." Law answered her flatly, then started to walk away.

"You don't even know what I'm going to ask you!" She quickly ran after him, linking her arm through his to try and stop him.

"I do. You want me to win a toy for you." Law said as he took his hand from his pocket and whipped his arm free from Nami's grip.

"Please, Law, we are on a date." Nami pretended to sulk with puppy dog eyes, and pouting lips. He knew the use of his name was her shrewd attempt to manipulate him into getting what she wanted. Even though he was aware of it, it still worked.

"Fine." Law threw his head back in frustration, but slightly warmed to the idea once Nami had her arms wrapped round his neck in excitement. "I'll try, but I'm bad at these sort of things." Law tried to explain, but she was already dragging him to the nearest stall.

_Knock 'em down shoot-out at the O.K Corral_ – was the rather large title of the game Nami had literally dragged him to. Law had to duck down as they approached. He wanted to make sure he avoided hitting his head against the dozens of stuffed penguins that were hanging from the lip of the awning.

"Kaya! Usopp!" Nami shouted, excited to see her friends who were currently playing the game she wanted Law to attempt.

Kaya was frail, sickly girl with light blonde hair, who beamed a bright smile as Nami and Law approached. She was Usopp's close friend from high school, though she had missed most of it due to an illness that kept her bed ridden. She was still somewhat sallow in her appearance, but she was improving everyday. Her stint in hospital did not hinder her academically. She was now an intern at the prestigious hospital that employed Law.

Nami's shout had distracted Usopp, causing him to miss a few of the targets and lose the game. "Damn it." He cursed as he turned around. The olive skinned man wore tan coloured dungarees and a beige bandanna on his head to control his dark afro. "I'll beat it this time." He promised, giving the attendant more money.

"Law's going to have a go, too." Nami smiled, and she pushed the man to the front of the counter, completely unaware of his uncertainty in his own marksmen skills.

"It's five bellies a go. You must knock down ten of the fifteen targets to win a prize." The stall attendant informed them.

Law reluctantly handed over the cash, and received a rifle in exchange. Usopp had already begun shooting, knocking down every outlaw that popped up, intimidating Law before he'd even begun. He turned his attention to his own own game, put the butt of the rifle into his shoulder and took aim, then nodded to the attendant to start the game.

Law's eyes scanned the old wild western toy town before him. It was a two dimensional scene that had once been intricately painted. The amount of badly aimed shots that had been fired at the wooden display had caused a great loss of detail. A regular 'Yee-har!' and the trot of horse hoofs were used for sound effects.

Suddenly, an outlaw appeared in front of the bank, and by some miracle Law managed to hit him. He laughed in surprise at his own fluke, then quickly had to concentrate as another target popped up on the balcony of the saloon. Again, he managed to hit it, much to his own amazement.

The game tempo picked up then, and the targets became smaller. Law missed the next villain that appeared. His aim wasn't much to shout about in the first place, so he wasn't surprised he couldn't hit a moving target. He continued on to try and win a damned penguin for Nami, though.

Law was suddenly aware of the regular clink of metal on metal as Usopp hit every target precisely, knocking them down the moment they popped up. His proficiency with a projectile weapon could put anyone to shame. He was in awe of the man's skill, and was completely distracted, then his own game was over before he even realised.

"Uunnng" Nami groaned at his failure.

He wrapped an arm round her and kissed her on the forehead to hopefully ease her disappointment. "I told you I was bad at these games." He apologized. She hugged him back but kept her brooding expression as she watched the attendant hand Kaya her prize.

"You can have it, if you want?" The blonde offered. "I have a few." She informed them as she brought a large carrier bag into view. Usopp had won at least five or six cuddly toys for her already.

"Thanks, but I want Law to win one for me." She smiled deviously at him, and placed a hand on his chest to let him know there would be consequences if he didn't. A mixture of worry and irritation washed over Law then. He hated playing carnival games, but if he didn't manage to win something for her, it could mean that he was going straight home after their date. Or, that this'd be their last, and he didn't want that.

"Are you going to enter the All You Can Eat competition?" Usopp asked.

"Haha. I don't think so. Why?" Nami inquired.

"Luffy is entering. I was going to warn you against it." Her friend explained.

"Well, there would definitely be no point then. He'll win for sure!"

"Hmm, I'm not too sure. Zoro's new girlfriend is entering as well." Kaya reported.

"Then that might be something to watch! Maybe we'll see you there?" Nami asked.

Usopp nodded, and the two couples parted ways.

"Let's find another game for you to play!" Nami laughed as she squeezed Law tighter. She was surely aware of his exasperated sigh, but it didn't deter her in the slightest.

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**There will be quite a few crack pairing in this, I think! I have some planned already, but if there is anyone you'd like to see let me know. If it doesn't interfere with my plan, I'll make it happen for you in one way or another!**

**When I was doing a bit or fairground research, I discovered that there used to be a really famous fair in London, England called Bartholomew Fair held on St. Bartholomew's feast day (24****th**** Aug) and lasted for two weeks. So~ I couldn't not name it after Barto! :D**

**28th July 2014**


	2. All's Fair in Love and War

**Eiichiro Oda owns One Piece and its awesome characters! **

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All's Fair in Love and War

"Hmm." Nami hummed with an evil smile.

Law definitely didn't like what that was foreshadowing. He only ever saw that expression on her face when she had been victorious in something devious, or she was plotting someone's demise. In this case, it was probably his.

"Oh look, there's Sanji-kun!" His date shouted as she pointed to a penalty shoot-out game. "Let's go say hi." Nami quickly grabbed his arm and dragged him like a puppet towards her friend who was framed by stuffed killer whales.

As they approached, Nami hugged a girl who was watching close by, obviously an old friend he had not met yet. The girl had long sky blue hair tied back high on her head, and deep blue eyes. She wore a pistachio green shirt with purple chevrons, white denim shorts and mid-calf boots.

The blonde man was clearly an excellent striker, kicking the ball with such ferocity and tremendous accuracy that Law thought he was going to rip a hole in the back of the net. Sanji wore a navy blue waistcoat and trousers, and a sky blue skirt. He had obviously tried to coordinate himself with his date's hair and eye colour.

"Here you go, Vivi-chwan~" Sanji said with an adoring smile, offering her a very large stuffed killer whale. She gratefully took the toy from him, then the trio began chatting animately.

Law took that opportunity to move away then, in the hope that Nami would forget about him winning her a prize. He would be just as awful at the penalty shoot-out as he was at the Knock 'em down shoot-out at the O.K Corral!

He had barely finished processing that thought in his mind when he felt a gentle tug on his arm. He turned to see a pair of big brown eyes, blinking up at him longingly.

"Nami-ya, I'll be terrible at this, too!" He said, then her friends caught his attention. The blonde was firing daggers at him with his eyes, and shouting profanities as Vivi dragged him away.

His date continued to stare up at him, her frown slowly deepening. Law was quite sure she may switch on the water works any second. "I'll try." He agreed, instantly regretting it, but he didn't want to disappoint her.

"It's five belli a game. You get five balls, and must get one ball in each of the five holes to win a prize."

'No chance.' Law pessimistically thought to himself as he handed over the money.

The game was set inside a long ten metre tent, the prizes hung overhead, and down the sides at the entrance. There was a painted green board at the far end, with five circles cut out of it. They each had a net at the back, and their circumference was painted white so they were easier to see.

Law stared at the targets. Somehow ten metres felt like such a long way, and seemed to be getting further away. He felt far more nervous than he should have, there was too much adrenaline in his system, he could feel it in his gut. Law shifted his weight onto his left leg, and swung his right at the ball.

"Goal!" The vendor shouted.

The knot in Law's stomach loosened a little at the sight of the ball in the bottom left hole of the board. 'One down, four to go.' He thought to himself as he placed the next ball on the penalty spot, noticing the slight perspiration on the palm of his hands as he did. Law quickly glanced at Nami, she had her hands clasped together in front of her chest, watching him eagerly.

He tried to block out the noise of the fair behind him. All the whizzes, bops and bell sounds didn't help his concentration. Neither did the annoying song that was blasting around the grounds, the woman's voice was so hideous it could surely shatter glass.

Law aimed for the right side this time, then blasted the ball towards the hole.

"Goal!" The vendor shouted, again.

"Go, Tora-o!" Nami gleefully shouted with a lilt that had her sounding like a cheerleader, throwing her hands up in the air to celebrate.

Again, that name alone would have done nothing for his mood, but after seeing her elated expression he let it slide.

'Time for the centre hole.' He told himself, knowing that he'd have to put a bit more force into his shot to get the extra elevation.

Law kicked the ball, hard. Proof of just how much power he put behind the shot was heard in the loud crack that the back board made as it was struck. It was clearly heard over the booming music, drawing everyone's attention to just how badly he had missed.

Law scowled, refusing to give in to embarrassment, basking in disappointment instead. "I'm sorry, Nami-ya." He said as he approached her, fully aware that everyone was still watching to see how unhappy his date was at him failing to win something for her.

Nami wrapped her arms around his waist, then leant up to kiss him with a pleasant smile. As soon as her feet were flat on the ground Law was sure he saw her eye twitch, and she quickly sent a death glare at the onlookers. She took his hand, then began to lead him away from the games, giving off a slight smell of brimstone.

"Shall we go on some rides?" The redhead asked cheerfully, trying to mask her irritation. He hoped it was purely from how people had stared at them, and not because he had failed for a second time.

"Let's check out the Freak Show." Law offered, and Nami quickly pulled her face as if he had offended her in some way. "What?"

Nami stared at him, then folded her arms. "I don't want to look at what's in there!" She complained.

"Why not?"

"Because it will be full of weird people. Besides, I heard the best thing in there is a guy with really long earlobes."

Law rolled his eye at her. "Fine. What do you want to go on?" He asked, taking her hand again as they began to walk towards the rides.

Nami stood on her tip toes to peek over the rabble as she scanned the fairground. "Ah!" She exclaimed, before dragging him off through the bustling crowd.

A fist crashed down on his forearm, causing him to lose his grip on Nami's hand, then he was suddenly met with a muscular naked torso. Law looked up into the face of person standing in front of him. The man's dark lips slowly curled into a smirk as their eyes met. "Trafalgar." He spat in a viscous tone.

"Move, Eustass-ya." Law growled, and tried to push past him, only for Kid to block his path again.

Law felt his neck grow warm as his blood started to boil with anger. "Is this really the time?" He sneered at the younger man, taking note of the flash of long blonde hair that briefly entered his peripheral vision.

"Keep your eyes on your woman, Trafalgar. It was so easy to separate you just now. Who knows what will happen to her next time." Eustass Kid laughed through his warning, while Law snarled at him.

"If you so much as touch her-" He began, but when Kid stepped out of his way, Law was more interested in finding Nami. He rushed past Kid, pushing deeper into the crowd. His eyes frantically searching for any sign of her vibrant orange hair.

Relief washed over him when he spotted her standing on the dismount platform to Mont Blanc Airways ride. The rides suspended cars revolved behind her, creating a torrent of air that pulled at her fringe, and ponytail. She had one hand keeping her hair out of her eyes, the other on the pole that elevated the speaker high into the air. "Nami-ya!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, but it wasn't loud enough for her to hear over the music.

A sad expression adorned her face as she scanned the crowd for him. The hand she had on her head to control her fringe only made her look more worried, as if she was scared he had abandoned her. He made his way over to Nami as fast as he could, shoving everyone out of his way.

"There you are!" She said with as relieved smile when he finally made it to where she was standing.

"Please, can we just get out of here? I'll take you shopping instead, I promise!" Law pleaded as he pulled her into his arms and quickly kissed her. She was at the perfect height for him while she was standing on that platform.

"But-" She stopped arguing when she saw his expression, then nodded as she ran her hands through his messy hair with a sad smile.

Law took a deep breath, thankful for her selflessness, but he surrendered to her genuine disappointment at having to leave. "All right, we'll stay a bit longer, but stay close, okay? I don't want to get separated again."

Nami smiled deviously at him. "But you'll still take me shopping, right?"

His warm emotions towards her selflessness quickly relented. "You manipulative witch!" Law laughed. She had managed to beguile him into taking her shopping, when a date to the mall or the fair was an either-or situation. On the bright side, at least he would get to spend more time with her, and the future of their relationship was no longer contingent on the winning of a stuffed toy, hopefully. "Is this what you were dragging me to?"

"No." Nami said, while shaking her head. "Come on." She smiled, then jumped down and took his hand to lead the way. Law quickly caught up to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder so no one could separate them again.

Nami got his hopes up by leading him passed the Freak Unique. He knew she did it purposefully because she was watching his expression the whole time. He'd get her back for it at some point.

"Let's go on this!" Nami insisted as she brought them to the dodgems.

The sign for the ride had pictures of street modified super cars and scantly clad women spray painted onto it. Purple and blue cabochons edged the boards, with green flags raised in each of the four corners.

Green, purple and blue lights strips were hanging alternately above the caged ceiling, below the canvas. The lights reflected off the metal flooring making it appear as though the dodgems had strips of neon underglow.

"Really?" Law asked, unimpressed. The name Dodgems always seemed stupid to Law as everyone's aim was to drive around randomly and bump into one and other, and not to dodge.

Nami nodded, then turned to watch the cars in action until this turn was over. Law kept his arm around Nami as he gazed up at the electricity that sparked from the pole on the back of the car, completing the circuit between the floor, car and the caged ceiling. He liked the sudden burst of electrically energy.

He felt Nami shuffle in his hold, so he took a step back to observe her as subtly danced to the energetic yet heavy baseline of the hip hop song that accompanied the ride. He didn't think it was the sort of music she would normally listen to, but its crude and shouted lyrics seemed familiar to her.

She blushed heavily when she turned to see his amused expression, desperately trying not to laugh at her. She wasn't too embarrassed to not shake her behind at him and stick her tongue out when the lyrics prompted _'wiggle wit' ya'_.

The dodgems came to a halt then. Law moved to be in the same vehicle as Nami, but she frowned at him to get in one by himself.

He struggled getting into the car, it didn't allow much room for his long legs, and he imagined it was going to be quite painful when someone crashed into him. That someone being Nami, of course. He fastened his seatbelt then looked up at all the other people on the ride.

There was a large man with blue hair in one of the cars. Law couldn't even imagine how the man had managed to squeeze himself into the vehicle, or how intended to get out.

The man started waving at one of the other drivers then, so Law followed his eye line to discover he was waving at Nami. She was frantically waving back, then pointed over to Law. The large man with blue hair, and a slender woman with black hair in another car waved at him. He reluctantly waved out of courtesy, with a look of uncertainty plastered across his face.

Once the attendant had taken money from all the drivers, with him paying for Nami, the sound of engines revving was broadcast loudly within the cage. The headlights of the cars flickered to life, then a klaxon sounded for the ride to begin.

Nami instantly raced towards him with a determined look on her face. Law got off to a late start, the lack of pedals threw him momentarily, but he was still away before Nami could crash into him.

A pile up in the centre of the rink appeared instantly, the remainder of the drivers circling in a counter clockwise flow, desperately trying to avoid them. Nami didn't, she laughed like a crazed idiot after crashing head first into someone. Her giggling rendered her completely incapable of driving for a moment, so Law took the opportunity to smash into her while he could, and then made another quick getaway.

Someone reversed out of the pile up, hitting his car side on with some force. His left knee painfully whacked into the side of the steering wheel, and his head whipped to the right. Then, someone snapped up the opportunity to crash into the back of him, causing his shins to collide with the dashboard.

'That's definitely going to bruise.' Law thought to himself as he heard Nami's frantic laughter from behind him. He dared to turn and face her, hoping she wouldn't bump him again. Her brilliant smile made him forget the pain she had just caused him.

"You'll pay for that!" He warned her as he sped off to try and get behind her again.

The pile up at the centre had dispersed and there was now too much chaos in the rink to actually be able to pick up any speed. He received soft bumps from the left and rear, but the ride quickly turned boring.

Law dismounted with a struggle when the cars slowed to a halt. Nami made her way over to him, still laughing from the ride experience. "Are you all right?" She asked when Law rubbed his shins.

"That's your fault." He informed her, hoping for some sympathy.

"Sorry." She laughed, affectionately patting his shoulder. "You can pick the next ride."

A sadistic smile spread across his lips then. "The ghost train."

"NO!" Nami shouted.

"You said I could pick." Law argued, then began rolling up one of the legs of his jeans. "Look what you've done." He said as he pointed to his shin.

"I hate things like that though, you know I do. They terrify me."

Law continued to look at her, refusing to budge on this one.

"On one condition! You have to come on the Tunnel of Love." Nami compromised.

Law pulled his face at her, pretending to not be happy. True, that sort of ride really wasn't his thing, but it was tunnel of love, an excuse to make out with your girl in the dark. "Fine, but you have to come on the ghost train first."

"Fine." Nami moaned with discontent, but didn't protest any further as Law escorted her to the entrance to the ride.

* * *

**I hope that wasn't too boring? **

**I always listen to The Best Things In Life Are Free by Janet Jackson & Luther Vandross (1992), and Rhythm of the Night by Corona (1993) when I write this. **

**They both remind me of being at the gypsy fairs when I was little (9 and 10 judging by the years that the songs came out). I was lucky, one used to come every Halloween and set up on the carpark of the sports centre at the top of my road. I used to go Trick or Treating every night for a couple of hours, then spend all the money I got on the fair :) Happy times, no wonder I'm an adrenaline junkie, and love Halloween ...**

**I was listening to another song when I was picturing the Dodgems though. Think it's obvious what that song is. I blame NFSU!**

**24****th**** August (St. Bartholomew's Feast Day)**


	3. The Fright of Your Life

**Eiichiro Oda Owns One Piece and all it's amazing characters!**

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The Fright of Your Life

'Am I some sort of masochistic?' Nami questioned herself, her skin suddenly crawling as she accidentally touched the squishy sack of spider eggs that were hanging from the underside of themed queue barrier. She had fully expected Law to reject her compromise. She was sure he would say no to the tunnel of love, out of embarrassment if nothing else. Now, she was stuck, and had to go on this damned combined ghost train and haunted house ride.

Nami's heart sank when the barrier was lifted and a group of six went in, making her and Law next in line.

"How many?" A large man in a fishnet shirt croaked as they slowly closed the gap towards the entrance.

"Two." Law informed the man as he grabbed Nami's hand to gently pull her along.

The man disappeared through a blanket of mist at the entrance to the ride, his shrill cackle fading with him. Iron gates were painted to the outside of the ride canvas. A large mansion was depicted behind them, sat atop a misty hill in the distance.

No expense had been spared for this ride, not even in the waiting line. A painted canvas covered the uneven floor, with straw scattered over the top to disguise the illustrated bones. The queue barrier was made to look like wrought iron railings, adorned with cobwebs, very realistic looking spiders, and disgusting sacks of eggs.

She looked up at her handsome date, hoping he would see the fear on her face, and not force her to follow through with her promise, but he didn't even spare her a glance. He was too preoccupied watching the entertainers as they moved within the queue.

A man on stilts dressed as a gentleman skeleton was walking back and forth amongst the punters. His peculiar outfit filled Nami with a sense of hope that perhaps this might be more of a joke ride, and not a thrill one as its name, Thriller Bark, would suggest.

The skeleton had a large dark afro, and wore a jet black dinner suit, and top hat. His apricot shirt had a tall, stiff collar, and frilly cuffs. The shirt was unbuttoned, allowing his lower rib cage and spine to seen. His sternum was hidden behind a cobalt cravat, held in place by a three jewelled pin that was violet in colour.

He strolled the queue line with a jolly disposition. His distinct laugh of 'Yohoho' reminded Nami more of Christmas than anything Halloween, or slightly spooky. Though, the woman who accompanied him was an entirely different matter.

She had bobbed hair the colour of sand, and vacant dark eyes. She wore a short obsidian sleeveless evening dress, with a crimson feather boa draped around her shoulders. Her skin was pale grey, with painted lines on her cheeks, chest and arms to give the illusion that her flesh had been stitched together. That appearance was coupled with an unnerving sullen demeanour, which caused Nami to step deeper into Law's hold for protection every time the chilling woman passed by.

The more Nami thought about it, the more anxious she felt. "I feel sick." She complained, rubbing her free hand over her abdomen.

"Why?" Law asked, wrapping his arms around her, and leaning his head over her shoulder. "It's not like there is a psychopath hiding in there, whose going to jump out and cut you up for fun." He whispered as he placed a kiss on her temple.

"I guess. You can't really jump out at me if you are already holding my hand." Nami laughed as she turned to look at him and playfully stick her tongue out at him.

Nami blanched then as the attendant returned. "Welcome to Thriller Bark." He croaked as he lifted the barrier for them to pass through. He raised his arm, unveiling a tribal tattoo on his shoulder as his raven feathered cape slipped when he motioned towards an Edwardian looking horse-drawn carriage, barely visible through the mist just beyond the painted iron gates.

Law practically had to push Nami to get her into the carriage. It was so dark, she was convinced someone was going to jump out at her right away, and scare her half to death.

She sat down on the lilac cushioned bench, barely leaving enough room for Law to sit next to her. The second his bum touched the fabric of the seat, Nami had her back pressed firmly against him, pinning him in the corner, while hers eye fixed on the far window.

The moment Law shut the carriage door, the cab rattled to life and began to move. Dim, cerulean torches flickered a few times before their light became constant, illuminating the inside of the carriage with an ethereal glow. Nami immediately looked around, checking nothing else was in there with them, and dragging Law's arms around herself in the process.

"You can't be that scared."

"I am!" She spat back at him. Being in such an apprehensive state, Nami completely missed his slightly sympathetic tone. She was too busy trying to stop herself from trembling. She did notice when he tightened his arms around her, and dragged her to sit on his lap. The comforting gesture of his left hand rubbing her right shoulder didn't go unmissed, either.

Nami continued to stare out of the window. If something was going to come for her, then she was determined to see it first, and run as fast as she could in the opposite direction.

The carriage was travelling through a misty forest, eerily lit by scattered black lights. The chirping of bats, and the fluttering of wings could be heard from all around them. The knots in the bark of all the trees looked like grotesque faces, mocking her fear as the ghostly carriage passed by.

Nami jumped when a sonorous howl came from just behind the carriage. Her chest felt tight, and all the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end from the beast's shrill cry. "Nami-ya, you're crushing me." Law complained when she forced herself closer to him. Her feet were pressed against the bench opposite, enabling her to mould herself against Law with a fair amount of pressure.

"I want to get off!" She whimpered. Nami lowered her feet from the other bench just as a scratching noise sounded on the roof of the carriage. She felt Law brace himself in anticipation of being crushed again, but she kept her feet on the floor, and sank lower down in his hold until she was practically lying on his lap.

Nami felt Law begin to shake beneath her, so she turned her face up to him, and was deflated to see him silently chuckling at her. "Stop laughing, you sadistic bastard." She snarled with raging hostility, trying to manoeuvre an elbow to whack him with. For a moment, she actually forgot that she was scared, but that dread returned to her the second the carriage stopped in its tracks. "Why has it stopped?" She fretted, slowly lifting her head a little, and darting her gaze between both windows, then crawling to the furthest one.

"I think we're meant to get out." Law suggested, casually. "Look, there's the haunted house."

"I'm not going out there!" Nami said from her crouched position at the far window. Her head just barely peeking over the sill so her eyes could scan the misty forest.

"What are you doing!" She shrieked when Law looped an arm around her waist, and lifted her from the safety of the carriage.

"We have to go through there." He set her down, and pointed to a mansion beyond a graveyard. The carriage moved then, disappearing into a camouflaged knoll, to complete its circuit and pick up the next set of guests.

Nami immediately clung to him for dear life. She felt vulnerable and exposed in the ghostly forest. Her eyes were constantly searching between the trees for a sign of anyone or anything. "KYAAA!" She screamed as a beast like creature starting sprinting towards them.

"Come on." Law laughed, and tried to pull her away, but she was too petrified to move. He threw her over his shoulder and strolled into the graveyard through a pair of large wrought iron gates.

Law put Nami down and forced her to wait there a moment, allowing the creature to stalk them from the other side of the bars. She was tense with fear. She could hear her heart beating loudly in her chest, feel her knees trembling, and sense the knot in her stomach tightening. Law must have known how afraid she was because he stood behind her then and wrapped his arms around her.

Nami's tension eased a little from the protective chrysalis Law had turned himself into, guarding her from whatever tried to get her. She relaxed a little more as the beast circled outside, not entering the burial grounds, just staring like a predator watching its prey that just narrowly escaped its clutches. "Look, Nami-ya. It is just a guy in a costume making sure we don't loiter here and ruin the experience for the next set of people."

Any calm Nami felt soon vanished when she heard a low moan come from within the graveyard. Law slowly turned them to look upon the cemetery they were standing in.

Everything beyond the gates seemed dead. Twisted, skeletal trees the colour of charcoal adorned the grounds, their boughs appeared dry and splinted. Barren soil surrounded the cracked and crumbling tombstones, whose epitaph's were partially eroded, or completely missing.

Loose earth stirred from beneath one of the headstones. Nami swallowed hard as she looked on. Her mouth suddenly felt dry, and her tongue seemed swollen, making such a simple act quite difficult for her.

A decaying arm clumsily broke through the surface soil, knocking over a nearby urn and spilling its contents over the ground. Nami panicked as Law's arms loosened from around her. Zombies emerged in all directions, shuffling from their hiding places behind the gravestones, with a ghastly hum.

She quickly felt defenceless without Law behind her. "Run!" He urged as he took her hand, and headed towards the ominous mansion.

The zombies slow shuffle turned into a frantic dash as they chased Nami and Law into the mansion. Their moans sounded more aggressive the faster they charged. Nami ran as fast as she could, not once looking back at what was chasing her.

As they got inside the mansion, the heavy oak looking door promptly slammed behind them, leaving them in the pitch black corridor to listen to the zombies pounding against the wooden entrance, trying to get in.

A cold breeze rushed through the mansion, sending a shiver down Nami's spine. She quickly covered her mouth and nose with her free hand. The air within the ride smelt dank, and old. "I hate you for this." Nami declared, squeezing Law's hand tighter so he couldn't get away. "You'll pay for this, and not just financially!" She threatened.

Nami blinked her eyes a few times, ignoring his scoff, hoping the darkness would lessen, but it didn't.

Her heart skipped a beat when a hand found her shoulder. Nami screamed and pulled herself closer to Law.

"It's me." He said through a chuckle.

"Don't do that." She whined, softly punching his chest as punishment. She flinched again when his hand found her chin to tilt her face up to him so he could place a soft kiss on her lips.

"Is that not enough to make it up to you?" Law asked. She could hear the smile behind his words. He was obviously expecting her to say no, so she didn't disappoint.

"You'll have to try a lot harder than that."

Over the pounding of the zombies at the door, Nami heard him take a step closer to her before his body was lightly pressed against hers. The smell of his aftershave quickly flooded her nostrils, comforting her in the darkness as it completely disguised the odour of the mansion. She rested her hands on Law's hips, then balled her fists into his t-shirt as she looked up towards him, expecting another kiss.

She didn't flinch this time when both his hands cupped her face. Nami felt the warmth rise in her cheeks as he placed a kiss on her forehead, then one on her nose, then gently let his nose glide along hers from bridge to tip, before finally closing his lips over hers.

Law wrapped an arm around her, while the other moved to the back of her head. He grabbed her ponytail and used it to pull her head further back, to angle her face towards him for a deeper kiss. Nami's heart began to race in a good way then, and she found herself thinking that she wasn't scared while she was in his embrace, kissing him, obviously completely distracted by him.

Their kiss was interrupted by the sudden lack of noise. The zombies had finally ceased banging on the door, and a foreboding symphony began playing in the distance. Nami felt that her blood curdled upon hearing it. She instantly hugged Law, squeezing him tight, and putting an ear to his chest. She tried to concentrate on the steady beat of his heart instead of what she deemed was the sound of melodious death.

A nearby candelabra ignited. It was dripping with cobwebs, and burned with a jade hue, casting a gloomy green glow around the mansion. Then, a couple more lit up, illuminating the corridor further along.

The mansion's interior appeared to be more like a castle than an old large house. Naked stone lined the walls and floors, with heavily cobwebbed candelabra chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

"Please, don't." Nami begged, as Law moved her arms from around him.

"We have to keep moving, Nami-ya." He said with a smile, and offering his right hand. Nami took it with her right, and moved so his arm draped over her shoulders. She wrapped her left arm round his waist and huddled against him.

They walked the crepuscular corridor at Law's pace. Nami wasn't certain, but she was quite sure he wanted to drag out the experience for as long as possible, despite knowing full well that she was desperate to get out of there.

Nami looked to the walls. Portraits from possibly the Edwardian period hung from the stone, illuminated by a single candle. She stared at one gentleman, keeping her eyes fixed on his. She knew there was a trick to them, that it was just an illusion that their eyes followed her movements, but they still made her anxious and paranoid.

'They really do look real.' She thought to her self as she passed the painting, turning her head as they walked to continue looking at it. Then, Nami blanched and her body became frigid. The life seemed to drain from her when she definitely saw the man in the portrait blink.

"What's wrong?"

Nami lifted a shaky finger and pointed towards the portrait. "He blinked." She said, unable to control the tremor in her voice.

"You are just imagining things. If you are that frightened, then stop looking at them, and look at me instead." Law suggested. He pulled her back against his side, and continued to walk her down the corridor.

She took his advice, ignoring the metallic rattle of a nearby suit of armour, Nami stopped looking around to cast her gaze up at him. Even with the unnatural green tint to his skin Nami still found him to be extremely good looking. She didn't like how much he was enjoying her fear, though. He had to be smirking at more than this hideous ride.

Nami got more and more freaked out as they walked the dark and twisted passageways of the gothic mansion. Her fear was overwhelming as they got closer to where the music was being projected from. It wasn't overly loud, it didn't need to be to fill her with despair. There was just an indescribable air of finality about it that made her feel threatened, and absolutely helpless.

The darkness of the gloomy corridor became more dense at the point when Nami noticed the surface of the flooring changed. The eerie symphony was silenced, and only the sound of scurrying and scratching could be heard.

The pair stopped walking as all the lights were quickly extinguished. "Law?" Nami fretted, still clutching him tightly. He stayed quiet, but rubbed her shoulder as he pulled her closer.

A vibrant jade glow flooded the floor beneath their feet. Nami instantly screamed when she looked down, then jumped on to Law's back for protection, scrambling as far from the flooring as she could. She wrapped both arms around his neck to ensure that she didn't fall.

She couldn't take her eyes of the floor. Nami couldn't believe where she had just been standing. Her skin crawled as she stared at the wispy green blanket of cobwebs that lay beneath the transparent flooring. Hundreds of spiders scrambled across it, and on the underside of the perspex. She trembled, and nausea washed over her when her leg felt itchy at the thought of where she had been stood.

"Please, just go." Nami whispered. She shut her eyes as a single tear escaped. "I hate spiders."

"You're strangling me." Law choked as he tried to ease her arms from around his neck.

The moment she felt Law begin to start walking, Nami loosened her grip, but only slightly. She kept her eyes firmly shut, and tried to ignore the tight congestion in her chest, and racing heart. 'He definitely owes me for this'

"KYA!" Nami screamed as Law stepped out of the exit. She felt something brush against the back of her neck. She jumped down from Law's back to frantically try and brush away what ever it was that touched her.

"It was probably your hair." Her date laughed. Law moved to stand behind her then, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Nami tried to turn her head to glared at him.

"That wasn't very long, was it?"

"It was long enough!" Nami shouted. She was terrified, and visibly shaking from the ordeal of Thriller Bark. "I hate you." She sobbed. He rested his head on top of hers and began to rock her gently while she complained.

"I was protecting you the whole time. You were safe." He affirmed.

"Doesn't matter." She wasn't going to let him off easily. "You definitely have to win me a toy now." Nami quickly countered.

Nami felt a change in his posture at that statement. She would enjoy watching him suffer playing those games, just as he enjoyed watching her suffer in that hell hole.

"Let's get you some food first. You'll feel better once you get your blood sugar levels up."

* * *

**So, I've written this chapter from Nami's point of view, because I thought it would be more of a challenge for me to try and portray someone who is scared. I'm not the kind of person who scares easily (at all is probably more correct). I love haunted houses and ghost trains, but at the same time I think they are awful because they aren't scary in the slightest.**

**I wasn't a normal child though who was brought up watching Saturday morning cartoons. Me and my sister insisted that my mam video whatever the Hammer Horror Friday night movie was (usually something starring Christopher Lee), and we would watch that on a Saturday morning while eating our Rice Krispies.**

**I was watching Nightmare on Elm Street, Alien, The Fog, Pumpkinhead, Halloween, Friday 13th etc all before I was 8 years old, and the only thing that ever scared my was Jaws, when I was 5. I thought he was going to come up through my bedroom carpet and eat me while I was asleep! (not in the bath, where there is water, and a more normal child might be scared of being eaten a shark).**

**So, I hope that was alright :) I did think about Nightmare Before Christmas when I was writing this. I completely forgot that Oda-sensei said it was on of his favourite films. On that note of the mixing of Halloween and Christmas, I wondered if Dr. Hogback got his name because of Hog's Watch & The Hogfather by Terry Pratchet. Sorry, I'm rambling.**

**5****th**** September 2014**


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